Amongst the Ashes
by TheMovieGrrl
Summary: A prequelbackstory peek into the future lives of Peter & Niki. It is several years later after the explosion. On the anniversary of its event, Peter and Niki reflect on their lives, and the ones they've lost.


**Amongst the Ashes **

Date: May 2, 2007  
By: TheMovieGrrl  
Rating: PG  
Words: 1055  
Fandom: Heroes  
Characters: Niki/Peter  
Pairing: Niki/Peter  
Genre: Drama, Angst/Sad, AU

Disclaimer: I own nothing

2010 

Across the liquid screen, a slideshow of happy faces; people from all cultures and backgrounds, fading in and out of sequences: all of them, casualties from Black Monday.

Niki stared at the screen, the first year was a whole blur but this time it was different. This time she remembered it all: Micah's box of scrabble on the floor, her voice telling him to pick it up. DL coming home from work, and greeting her with a firm hug making her feel secure. Memories to her were a curse, and all she felt now was empty. She had relied on Jessica to withstand the pain for her but not anymore.

After the explosion, something pushed down on Jessica; some force obliterated her from Niki's soul, and there was nothing but an eerie silence. Days, she spent staring at the mirror, searching for some recognition of her sister. Those days were long and gone.

She sat in the middle of the floor, her back pressed against the couch, knees bent towards her chest, a bottle of whiskey on the coffee table, and a glass dangling lightly within her grasp. She stared at it, knowing it would never be enough. Angrily, she threw it across the room as she felt the surge of tears begin to make it way through her.

Now, she was back in New York, and far from Vegas. It was masochistic, coming to the source of her pain, and she couldn't reason what drew her to the city. Maybe it was closure, or running away. She was always running, hard and fast.

The shatter of glass echoed throughout the grungy apartment. It was the only tenement safe for people like her; its cloak of invisibility held tight by one of the residents. To the world it was just another devastated building, to her it appeared as damaged her soul.

"I thought I'd find you here," A voice spoke gently to her.

"Why am I not surprised," she looked over to see Peter Petrelli. He had made himself visible right before her eyes.

"You weren't at the club for days…" he began, while taking a seat next to her.

"I had to take a break…I just, I couldn't…" She closed her eyes as she remembered the first night she took stage. Hoards of greasy old men lined up in the front row, all demanding Jessica. The first turns around the pole were shaky, but she forced herself through it. Dancing, showing off skin, it was all she needed to do now. It was all she had left to give to anyone until Peter.

He came unexpectedly one day, sitting in the far corner beside the bar. He eyed her and she felt an instant attraction. He had saved her once, and she wanted to return the favor.

After her first dance, she approached him with an inviting smile, playing the part she knew best. But he shrugged it off. He came, after all this time to see _her_…not Jessica. He wanted to make sure she was alright after her escape. Peter said he was worried because they lost contact, and oddly enough she believed him.

"Hey," Peter turned Niki towards him, forcing her to look in his eyes, "You're not alone in this, okay?" He could sense her pain, even as far back as Vegas. Before the owner of the club informed him about her absences, he could feel her. Niki was unlike any of the other Specials he had met before, and it was that difference which drew him nearer, and closer. The loss they both felt was all too real. It was those emotions she channeled when she stared at him. They were so lost and alone in the days after the fallout. Neither expected nor wanted anything more than just the physical; sex to numb their pain, it all worked fine under the façade. But time tore down those fronts, and they found each other in the process; they had learned to love each other despite their loss; their phantom pain.

"I know, you say that Peter, but it's not okay. I had a family. I had a…son," she couldn't hold back, and her voice choked as she sobbed, "Oh, God…I had a son, Peter. Micah." She buried her head on his shoulder as he embraced her.

_I just want my son. Micah, why? Why are you gone? Why? _

Peter wasn't supposed to hear her thoughts, it was one of their rules but he couldn't help it. In his arms, he felt every emotion course through her. He didn't know how, or when but he would do everything in his powers to make it right again. For both of them.

"I love you, Niki." He whispered in her ear as she wrapped her arms about his waist, holding him tightly as if she wouldn't ever let him go.

"Is it enough, Peter?" She raised her head to look at him, tears streaming down her face; her eyes marked with vulnerability and pain. "Three years ago, life was different…if you asked me three years ago, I would have said, 'yes'." Suddenly, calmness washed over her, and she looked away. Peter immediately recognized it.

"Don't do this Niki," he shook her slightly, and forced her gaze back towards him, "Don't you shut me out. You're allowed to feel pain. You're allowed to hurt, be angry...It doesn't have to be this way. "

"What if I don't want to feel anything, Peter? You go out there, on your missions, and I know one of these days you're not coming back. Don't tell me that isn't true!" her voice raised as she grew tense.

"And you want to live it out this way?" Peter reasoned as she grew still and looked down again. "It won't always be like this for us, Niki." Lifting her chin, he responded while brushing off strands of hair away from her face. "One day, we won't have to hide or run. We'll be free. We'll have a place of our own."

"You promise?" Voice getting softer, she turned to lean comfortably on him now. She loved him, even though she couldn't find the right way to say it.

"Promise." Peter answered, pulling her closer, knowing this moment was the closest they felt to anyone in a long time.


End file.
